Shoe upper guard



Mardi 27, 1951 L, PREJEAN i 2,546,780

SHOE UPPER GUARD Filed April 23, 1947 INVENTQR. 0K5 VEA N ATTE R N EVSPatented Mar. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES .FTENT FFICE 2,546,780 A SHOE UPPERGUARD Luke Prejean, Eaton Rouge, La.

Application April 23, 1947, Serial No. 743,430

My present invention relates generally to leather sewing machines andmore specically to an improved shoe upper guard as an attachment toshoestitching machines of the type employing a curved needle and equippedwith various forms of work tables that are utilized in stitchingoperations, for the manufacture as well as the repair of shoes. y

In the various standard types of curved needle stitching machines usedfor sewing shoes, the

shoe upper while being manipulated is brought close to the reld ofoperations of the looper and take-up devices which carry a wax thread.The wax is maintained in a fluid state by heating the looper andtake-up, and if and when the shoe upper contacts with these parts it islikely to be marred, soiled, or otherwise damaged; and in some instancesthe shoe upper may come in contact With the thread, which may result insticking of the wax to the upper. The hot wax is diffcult to remove fromtheupper, and therefore time and labor are lost in removing the Wax andconsequent expense is added to the cost of the machine operations.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an attachmentfor 'the machines that will eliminate these objectionable and costlycon- 3 Claims. (Cl. 112-40) ditions, and at the same time guard theupper i from being pierced by the awl and curved needle of the sewingmachine, thereby insuring high grade quality of merchandise togetherwith excellent workmanship. The guard or shield device of my inventionis constructed and installed with relation to the curved needle in suchmanner as not to interfere with the threading and rethreading of theneedle; and the necessary adjustments of the various operating parts ofthe sewing machine may be made without interference from the attachment.f

To this end the invention consists in certain novel features ofconstruction and combinations and arrangements of parts as willhereinafter be described, and more specically set forth in the appendedclaims.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example,and several modiications, of a physical embodiment of my invention inwhich the parts are combined and arranged in accord with modes I havedevised for the practical application of the principles of my invention.It will, however, be understood that changes and alterations arecontemplated and may be made in these exemplifying drawings andmechanical structures, within the scope of my claims, without departingfrom the principles of my invention.

Figure 1 is a left side View in elevationfof so much of a curved needleshoe stitching machine as isnecessary to illustrate the installation,the relation of parts and the utility of the guard of my invention.

Figure 2 is a front View in elevation as seen from the right in Fig. Ishowing the guard `or shield.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the guard, detached.

Figure 4 and Figure 5 are front elevations of modied forms of the guardor shield adapted to fit standard work tables.

Figure 6 is a front view of the supporting bracket for the guard, and'Figure 7 is a detail sectional view at lineY l-l of Figure 6 showingthe'hinged mount for the guard. v

In Iorder that the general arrangement and relation of parts may readilybe understood I have shown in Fig. l portions of operating parts of astandard curved needle shoe sewingl machine in which the needle isdesignated as N, the mc-u chine frame as F, and the looper L,all'ofvwhich are well known parts `of the sewing machine'.

vln carrying out my invention I employ a guard or shield l of sheetmetal, as steel, having a generally concave-convex shape, with a roundedand reduced bottom edge 2 and a rounded notch 3 at its upper edgeadapting the-shield for use with various types of sewing machines, androughly the shape of the shield approximates a heart shape.

In the installation of the guard as an attachment for the shoe sewingmachine, the guard or shield is mounted on the worktable of the machine,and it is pivotally mounted or hinged, in order that it may be shiftedas to its position to gain access to various parts of the machine whennecessary.

For this purpose the guard is hinged at 4 by pin 5 to a guard portion ofthe supporting bracket 6 of curved and angular shape and the bracket isprovided with a thin flat plate providing an attaching Flange 'ipositioned between the table and machine frame, as shown in Figure l,and which is fashioned with an open end slot 8 for adjustment withrelation to the pin Q of the frame F; and in addition the attaching angeis provided with a hole H! for the attaching screw Il, that insures arigid fastening on the frame F.

The hinged guard on its approximately vertical axis may be swung to openposition for access to the guarded operating parts, and in closedposition it is latched or locked by means of a lever arm or latch I2that is pivoted at I3 on 3 the rear side of the guard or shield, andthis latch is adapted to engage a hasp or keeper I4 mounted on thebracket S.

In Fig. 1 the guard is locked or latched securely in position withrelation to the bracket and the operating parts.

For re-thre'ading the machine, or for other purposes, theshield or guardmay be unlocked or unla'tclied by liftingand swinging the latch arm to'clear 'its hasp or keeper, and then the arzn, which is fashioned ofresilient material may be swung downwardly clearing the adjacent partsas it is pushed slightly toward the machine, thus permitting the shieldor guard :to be swung to the left in Fig. 2 to gain access to th'edesired parts.

After re-threading the needle, the guard is closed, and the latch bar orresilient lever 'arn is swung on its rivet or pivot I3., and againenga'e'ed With-its hasper keeper; 'and lthe guard is inthe position forthe performance of its funcinthe/.form ofv the shield or guard in` Figs.4 and 5 the respective notches Strand 3b are more vangular in shape thanthe concave shape of notch Sin Figs; 2 and 3, thus adapting/the guard toother standard types of shoe sewing machines,

The open end slot 8 and the screw hole ,IBy

in the attaching ange of the bracket are made oample `size in `orderthatthe bracketmay be shifted or adjusted tent' theworktables of Vdif-;erlent typesof sewing machines, and the guard mag,7 be attached tomachines now in use by meref- 'lyhoring or drilling the necessary holesfor the pin andrscrew or bolt l j. e v

The shield or guard is provided with a stop lug. l5 `forming; part `ofthebracket 6 that vprevents.excessivemovement of the shield, and co-.actswiththe latch or lock'lev'er in holding the shield kin rigidlymounted position.

Havingithus fully described xnyinvention, what claimas new and desire tosecure by Letters Paternris;A ,v 1,.

Aguard for shoe sewing machines compris- .ing a bracketadapted to be.attached tov the sew- :ing machine frame, said bracket having anattaching portion and a 'guard portion extending at ,an angleWith-respect to the attaching portion, a guard member hing'edly attachedto the bracket 4 and adapted to extend laterally from its guard portion,a locking latch pivoted on the guard member, said bracket having akeeper portion for receiving the latch whereby the guard member can beheld in lateral alignment with the guard portion of the bracket.

2. A guard for shoe sewing machines comprising a bracket adapted to beattached to the sewing 'machine vframe, said bracket having an attachingportion and a guard portion extending at an angle with respect to theattaching portion, a guard member hingedly attached to the bracket and`adapted to extend laterally from its .guard portion, a locking latchpivoted on the guard inembrsaid bracket fhaving a keeper portion forreceiving ,the latch whereby the guard member caribe held Iin lateralalignment with the guard portion of the bracket, and said bracket havinga stop lug for limiting the rearward pivotal movement `of the, guard.member Qn thebracket. .4 3. 'A 'guard for shoe sewingrnachines compris-ing a bracket adaptedto beattached to theserw f ing machine frame, saidbrackethaving anA attachi-ng portion andayguardportion extending atanangle with respect. to the attachingpor.- tion', a guardgmemberhingedlyattached to the bracket and adapted to extendlaterally frommits guardportion, .a locking latchpivoted on lthe guard member, vsaidbrackethaving la keeperV` por; tion'for receiving the latch wherebyk theguardmember. can ,beA held in` lateral alignment with the guard portion oftherbragcketpand saidatjtachingv portion of thel bracket havingbanv openend slot .and aV screw holespaced therefrom adapted to respectivelyreceive a Aiastening pin and an attach-ing screw. l

LK' 'RA n den) followirgrefferences are of record in the file of thispatent:

'UNITED STTS PATENTS

